Reuters
Nigeria repatriates hundreds of its stranded citizens from Saudi Arabia
“Reuters” quoted its sources as saying that Nigeria evacuated hundreds of its citizens from Saudi Arabia on Thursday after overstaying the residency periods indicated in their visas and stranding them.
The first batch of returnees were seen walking across the runway after their plane landed in the capital, Abuja.
High unemployment and recession have prompted thousands of Nigerians to search for work abroad, but the Coronavirus pandemic has reduced job opportunities in other countries and travel restrictions have left many of them stranded.
In a video that has been circulating on social media in the past few weeks, Nigerians have emerged who say they have been held in a camp in Saudi Arabia for more than three months, while other countries have returned their stranded citizens within two weeks or so.
The Nigerian government recently announced that it was working with the Saudi authorities to repatriate 802 Nigerians on Thursday and Friday flights.
Source: Reuters
